The Blue Light
by Kristin Hodson
He sat in a darkened room with only faint blue light illuminating his weary face. His hand lifted and the fingers
worked into the tense muscles of his neck, a movement occurring with increasing frequency over the past few hours.
“Steve,” a faint, feminine voice called, “will you be down soon?”
He didn’t miss the concerned tone, but continued with his task anyway. He knew this work was important. Lifechanging even. Other people, however, spoke in hushed whispers and judged with pointed stares. “Good-fornothing,” “time waster,” “crazy,” and “unstable” were just a few of the terms constantly being thrown his way. He
noticed his gaunt and sallow appearance every time a mirror was near. He probably wasn’t as concerned as he
should be, but the protruding cheekbones and stains of deep purple under his eyes were just evidence. Evidence of
his sacrifice and impending breakthrough. That faint blue light was everything right now. It was the world.
Delicate footsteps climbed the stairs. His wife’s feet paused outside his door, casting a silhouette in the only sliver of
light entering the room. He heard a gentle sigh before the shadow retreated. She was concerned. Enough for the
both of them. Every time he looked at her, worry and something akin to fear were plain on her face. She was wary of
who he was becoming. A lack of nutrition, sleep and sufficient company was changing him. He knew it. He knew that
she saw it too. That didn’t matter though. The uncertainty and distance growing between him and his wife, friends
and family were irrelevant. It was their own fault! They didn’t even try to understand. The source of this faint blue
light would alter the world as they knew it. It would change their lives forever.
He broke out of his reverie and re-immersed himself in his work. Technology. That’s where all of this started. He
wanted to build, to expand, to create. He knew he could help people. He knew he could make a difference. He knew
he could so something great. The ideas constantly blooming, growing and exploding in his mind were an intrinsic
part of this, and they were only the beginning. The hands of the clock circled around, and around, and around. He
heard his wife’s footsteps once again. This time, she knocked.
“Steve, is everything alright?” her tentative voice sounded from the hall.
A shallow “yes” was his only response.
“I’m going to bed now, honey.” She sounded upset. “There’s dinner in the fridge if you want it. Please don’t stay in
there too long.”
He didn’t respond. All of that was unnecessary right now. The faint blue light glowed on his face and he lost himself
once more.
As sunlight began to creep around the curtains, a strange feeling enveloped him. He was creating this incredible
thing, but he realised it was almost involuntary. The faint blue light had enveloped him and every part of his life.
From the first glimpse, he’d been drawn in and was now compelled to continue exploring the possibilities. This
technology had the power, had the control. The morning sun was shining in earnest now and he heard stirrings from
the rest of the house. The new day had him feeling rejuvenated, and, as he continued working, one of the final
pieces fell into place. As the realisation of his success dawned on him, the door creaked open to reveal his wife.
Clearly noticing his state, and, possibly, the manic joy coursing through him, her face fell and her eyes filled with
tears.
“Why are you doing this to yourself?” she questioned hopelessly.
Steve Jobs replied, “Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who
do.”